Adversity — Podcast — 12 Geniuses

The Future of Work from Now to the Year 2073 with Elatia Abate

For the Summer of 2023, a dozen futurists talk about what life will be like for humans in 30 to 50 years. Each guest is asked to paint a picture of the changes that we will experience between now and 2053 or 2073. Then they are asked what mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief. The goal of these episodes is to spark the imagination of listeners about the future we have the ability to create.

In this episode, entrepreneur and futurist Elatia Abate paints a picture of life in 2073 with a focus on how and why we will work. Elatia talks about the transformative nature of AI and robotics, the influence aging populations will have on immigration, retirement, and social programs, and why having a “mosaic career” with a variety of gig jobs can be a good idea for people to protect themselves from uncertain economic situations. Elatia goes on to talk about the mental health challenges that rapid technological advancement will continue to create, the potential of taxing robots to pay for social programs, and she gives advice for how parents of young children should think about education and preparing their children for the workforce of tomorrow. The interview ends with a conversation about purpose, work, and why aligning our work with the purpose of our lives will become even more important.

Elatia Abate is an entrepreneur whose mission is to revolutionize the way trailblazing leaders understand, train, and fuel their leadership. Named a Forbes leading female futurist, she is a globally recognized expert on the futures of work and strategy. Elatia is the founder of the Future of Now and is a sought-after keynote speaker on the topics of the future of work, leadership and resilience. She has a TEDx talk entitled, “Pioneering the Future of Work.”

The Making of a World-Class Surgeon with Dr. Michael Maddaus

When Michael Maddaus came home from school as a boy, he never knew what would be on the inside of his apartment door. It could have been his intoxicated mother, his abusive stepfather, or any degree of chaos in between. As he got older, he avoided being at home. Instead, he stole cars, experimented with drugs and alcohol, and escaped his home life in any way he could.

After 24 arrests as a juvenile, his options were becoming clearer - prison or worse. Maddaus joined the US Navy for a reprieve. When he got out a few years later, a fortuitous encounter with a mentor changed his life forever. With the mentor’s guidance, Michael Maddaus, the juvenile delinquent, transformed into Dr. Michael Maddaus, the world-class surgeon.

In this interview, Dr. Maddaus talks about his difficult youth, how it helped him develop his resilience, and how that resilience prepared him for life as a surgeon. Dr. Maddaus also talks about how to create a Resilience Bank Account™ and he gives some very emotional advice for young people who may be struggling to find their way in life.

After Dr. Michael Maddaus completed seven years of clinical surgical residency and three years of research, he joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota medical school. Over a 20-year career, Dr. Maddaus developed a robust clinical practice in complex and advanced minimally invasive surgery of the lungs and esophagus. He also became a full-time professor and vice chair of the Department of Surgery where he held the Garamella-Lynch endowed chair. Then, he stepped into his role as program director of the Department of Surgery’s general surgical training program. Now Dr. Maddaus coaches physicians to turn their demanding schedules into fulfilled lives.

The Resilient Runner with Helene Neville

Helene Neville was told by a doctor she needed to go home and get her affairs in order. She didn’t have long to live. That was 25 years ago. The mother of two young sons ran from that diagnosis and has been running ever since. Helene has survived three brain surgeries and recurring lymphoma. She has endured chemo, radiation, and, most recently, nearly two years in bed. Yet, she keeps running. When she was first told she was dying, she signed up for and completed the Chicago Marathon. Since then, she has become the first person to run across every single state in America amassing nearly 14,000 total miles…and she did it alone! This summer, she plans to run across much of Canada from Thunder Bay to Victoria, British Columbia. Helene’s remarkable story epitomizes what it means to be resilient.

In this interview, Helene talks about how she has overcome decades of life-threatening illnesses, why she pushes herself to accomplish her amazing athletic feats, and she shares stories about the people who have helped her on her journeys. Helene also reminds us that what connects humanity is much stronger than the issues that threaten to divide us. Helene demonstrates what is physically and mentally possible to those needing hope and inspiration.

Helene Neville is a survivor of three brain abscesses, three brain surgeries, and recurring lymphoma. She completed a quest to run across every state in America to inspire the nation to “Rethink Impossible.” Along the way, she found that there is more right with humanity than she ever imagined. She has run across all 50 U. S. States in eight segments - California to Florida, Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico, Florida to Maine, eastern Maine/Canadian Border to Ocean Shores, Washington, Wyoming to West Virginia to Las Vegas, Nevada, the perimeter of Oahu, Hawaii, Anchorage to The Dalton Highway, The Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. When she is not running, Helene is a nurse and professional speaker who has spoken in 50 states, over 300 hospitals, cancer centers, prestigious institutions, schools, corporations, and TedX.

Standing Up to Bullies with Devin Moore

When Devin Moore was a 14-year-old student, three classmates posted horrifically racist images of his likeness on social meda. Devin was stunned, angry, and feared for his safety. Fortunately, Devin has a loving family that helped him through that situation. Five years later, Devin just finished his first year of college and has been spending his free time helping young victims of bullying.

In this interview, Devin shares his experience as a victim of bullying and how he worked to overcome the trauma from that situation, he discusses the negative outcomes of bullying with an emphasis on cyberbullying, and he provides advice for bullying victims and parents of victims about where they can go to get help.

Devin is the founder of Race to Speak Up, an anti-bullying organization, where he educates youth about bullying prevention and empowers them to stand up for each other. Devin is the author of Devin Speaks Up!, a children’s anti-bullying book that stresses the importance of being okay with being different and speaking up to someone you trust about being bullied. As the host of Humanity Rising’s podcast Race To Speak Up, Devin interviews activists, business leaders, and entrepreneurs about how they create positive changes in their communities.

The Heart of Boxing World Champion Jamal "Shango" James

On August 8, 2020, Jamal “Shango” James became the World Boxing Association Welterweight Champion. The win gave Shango the same title and belt previously held by boxing icons like Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In this interview, Shango discusses the incredible physical and mental resilience required to make a living as a professional boxer. A native of Minneapolis, Shango shares how he endured the pandemic that disrupted his career and the social unrest when George Floyd was murdered just blocks from where he lives and trains. He talks about what it was like to become a world champion winning the WBA Welterweight title and he candidly shares how he felt when he lost the title 15 months later. Shango also talks about his commitment to helping young people and how representing his family and community fuel him to pursue the title again. A new father, Shango closes the interview with how he would like to help his son develop resilience as he grows up.

When he was just aged five, Jamal “Shango” James made his first visit to a boxing gym. From that day forward, he was hooked. As an amateur boxer, he fought more than 100 bouts and turned pro winning his first match on May 22, 2010. He went on to win his first 20 professional bouts and has amassed a 28-2 professional record. In August of 2020, after months of waiting through the pandemic for his first chance at a title fight, Shango became a world champion with his victory over Thomas Dulorme in Los Angeles. While boxing has been a huge part of Shango’s life, he also writes musical lyrics and mentors young people at the Circle of Discipline gym where he trains.

Surviving in the Amazon with Ky Furneaux

Ky Furneaux spent much of her early childhood running wild in small rural towns around South Australia, having adventures and riding her horse through the bush with a freedom that only small country towns allowed. When she was 19 years old, a car accident fractured a vertebra in her spine. When she was told she would never be physically active again, a resilience emerged that she didn’t know she had. She has been using it ever since in her career as a stunt double in films and as a survivalist in the wild.

In this interview, Ky talks about the accident that changed her life and how she developed the resilience that assisted in her recovery. She also discusses some of the amazing survival challenges she has conquered as a participant on Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid” series. During a 21-day, solo trip in the Amazon, Ky consumed just 1,000 total calories while burning more than 40,000. She shares her methods for overcoming these grueling physical and mental obstacles while convincing herself to keep moving forward. Ky closes the conversation with simple, practical, powerful advice for people who want to further develop their own resilience.

Ky Furneaux is an Australian outdoor guide, TV host, survival expert, professional speaker, and stunt double who has appeared in over 100 films and TV productions. She is co-author of Survive: The All-In-One Guide to Staying Alive in Extreme Conditions with Emily Sullivan. She has also written When the Grid Fails: Easy Action Steps When Facing Urban and Natural Disasters, The Superwoman's Survival Guide: Conquering the Unexpected in the Office, on the Town, or in the Great Outdoors, and Surviving the First 36 Hours: What to Do to Ensure Rescue which is scheduled to be published in August of 2023. Ky also works with young people to help them develop their confidence and resilience.

Raising Resilient Children with Dr. Ann Masten

Dr. Ann Masten is a professor at the University of Minnesota who has been studying resilience in children and families facing adversity for more than 40 years.

In this interview, Dr. Masten shares the factors that contribute to positive development of children, how the pandemic put children at risk during the lockdown and in the months since, and what children who live through stressful circumstances can gain by enduring those hardships. Dr. Masten addresses the downside of “helicopter” or “snowplow” parents who are overly protective and remove obstacles in the way of their children. She also discusses how bullying, social media use, and climate change are challenging young people in ways that previous generations never experienced.

Dr. Ann Masten is a Regents Professor, Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development and Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the Institute of Child Development in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. She studies competence, risk, and resilience in development, with a focus on the processes leading to positive adaptation and outcomes in children and families whose lives are threatened by adversity. The goal of her work is to inform science, practice, and policy seeking to understand and promote human adaptation and resilience. She is the author or co-author of many articles on the subjects of childhood resilience, development, and motivation. She is also the author of the 2014 book “Ordinary Magic: Resilience in Development.”

Never Give Up with Heisman Trophy Winner Johnny Rodgers

In 1972, Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers was recognized as the best college football player in the country and winner of the coveted Heisman Trophy. As a member of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, his teams won two college football national championships. Johnny went on to play six years of professional football before an injury stopped the man that defenders couldn’t. Undeterred, he left behind pro sports and used his relentlessness to become a successful entrepreneur and supporter of young people in his community.

In this interview, Johnny discusses the importance of resilience for him as an athlete. He shares how he overcame an injury that ended his career after six seasons of professional football and how resilience, grit, and a never-give-up attitude have helped him succeed in life decades after his professional athletics career ended. Johnny even talks about how his mindset helped him overcome a weeks-long COVID-19 hospitalization that many people around him thought would take his life.

Johnny Rodgers played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and won the Heisman Trophy in 1972. He played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Montreal Alouettes and in the National Football League (NFL) with the San Diego Chargers. As a member of the Alouettes, he was the CFL’s most outstanding rookie in 1973, a three-time CFL All-Star, and helped his team win the Grey Cup league championship in 1974. As a high school athlete, Johnny excelled in track & field winning a national title in the long jump, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in baseball, he was an all-star basketball player, and he was nearly untouchable on the football field. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. When his football career ended, Johnny started the largest magazine in San Diego history and has gone on to pursue numerous other entrepreneurial endeavors and community projects including co-founding The Jet Award which creates opportunities for youth through character, educational, and social development.

Warrior Toughness - Mind, Body, Soul with FLTCM David Isom

In this interview, Fleet Master Chief David Isom discusses the Navy SEAL selection process, the endurance required to survive “Hell Week,” the daily dangers of being a member of a SEAL team and how the stress of that danger is managed, and how the US military approaches resilience at an organizational level. He even talks about his role in the planning and rescue of Private Jessica Lynch when she was a prisoner of war in Iraq.

Fleet Master Chief David Isom assumed his current duties as Command Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in June of 2022. He previously served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Special Operations Command Pacific; Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Special Operations Command North; Command Master Chief, Naval Special Warfare Group TEN; and Command Master Chief, Special Reconnaissance Team TWO. His other assignments include Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Joint Special Operations Command, Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron ONE, and SEAL Team ONE.

Master Chief Isom's assignments have included a full range of duties in Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) Teams at Theater Special Operations Commands, and across the joint environment. His combat and operational deployments include Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as deployments throughout the Pacific and the Horn of Africa.

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